Actor Cho Jin-woong’s agency says it is checking the facts after a report alleged he committed serious offenses in high school and received juvenile protection measures.
On December 5, his agency addressed the allegations, stating, “We are currently reviewing the article and will share an official statement once verification is complete.”
Earlier that morning, Dispatch reported — citing a tip — that Cho committed multiple offenses as a teenager, received a juvenile disposition, and was sent to a juvenile facility. According to the outlet, Cho was allegedly part of a gang, stole parked cars, and was implicated in sexual assault. He reportedly stood trial in his second year of high school on charges of robbery and rape under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
Notably, Cho has been using the stage name Cho Jin-woong, which is his father’s name, rather than his birth name Cho Won-jun. Some have speculated that the choice may have been intended to distance himself from his past, though nothing has been confirmed.
Cho began acting in 1996 after joining the theater troupe Dongnyeok and made his Chungmuro film debut in the 2004 film “Once Upon a Time in High School.” He is set to appear in the upcoming tvN drama “The Second Signal.”